Council approves 11-year maintenance contract for East Side water tower

HURON — The Huron City Council on March 11 approved Resolution No. 22-2025 authorizing the city manager to enter an agreement with Utility Service Co., Inc., for professional maintenance and painting services for the East Side water tower for a period of 11 years at a cost not to exceed $600,324.

The measure was adopted by roll-call vote; all members present voted in favor. Council members placed the resolution on its first reading and waived the three-reading rule before voting.

City staff said the contract is intended to move the city from episodic painting projects to an 11-year asset-management arrangement that includes annual inspections, scheduled overcoats, and specific interior work. Staff reviewed a vendor inspection completed in October 2024 that tested paint for lead and chromium (both negative) and documented thinning of exterior coatings.

The East Side tower was built in February 2001 and has a storage capacity of about 500,000 gallons, staff said. Inspectors reported that the exterior overcoat has largely failed while the base coat remains. Staff recommended two overcoats this year, periodic overcoats every 10 years thereafter, and a wet-interior blast and recoating in year five as part of the vendor’s schedule.

According to staff, if the city delays a maintenance program and instead requires a full abrasive blast now, that work could add roughly $300,000–$400,000 to the cost of repainting. Under the proposed contract, those major costs are expected to be reduced by maintaining coating thickness and using scheduled maintenance to extend the tower’s service life.

City staff said the proposal also includes safety and security upgrades (new roof vent, overflow screen replacement), foundation grout repairs where needed and annual inspection reports to keep the city compliant with Ohio EPA guidance and American Water Works Association standards. Staff referenced Ohio Revised Code Section 9.29 during the presentation as the statutory basis cited in the vendor proposal for direct negotiations on water-tank maintenance.

Finance staff told the council the expense is budgeted for 2025 and split 50/50 between water filtration and water distribution operation-and-maintenance accounts.

Speakers at the meeting discussed the condition of Huron’s other tower (Rye Beach) and the advantages of a single vendor providing inspections, coatings, and inspections under one contract to limit the city’s contract-management burden.

The resolution and staff presentation are intended to move the city from reactive repairs to a scheduled maintenance program meant to reduce the probability of a large, single-year expenditure for a full blast-and-paint.

Ending: The vendor agreement is expected to begin work in 2025 under the terms approved; staff will return to council with routine updates as the contract’s annual inspection reports and scheduled work items occur.